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Yesterday at the Organ Pipe visitor center we
noticed a ranger hat and plaque attached to a rock. It’s a memorial to Ranger Kris Eggle who was
killed in the line of duty in 2002. This
is from the Officer Down Memorial Page (odmp.org):
KRISTOPHER WILLIAM
EGGLE
Ranger Kristopher Eggle was shot and killed
while he and several U.S. Border Patrol Agents attempted to apprehend two armed
illegal aliens.
The suspects had fled from Mexican authorities into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, at approximately 2:00 pm. The Mexican authorities called the Border Patrol and notified them of the suspects. A Border Patrol helicopter in the area located the suspects and directed Ranger Eggle and Border Patrol Agents to the area.
One of the suspects was apprehended without incident, but the second suspect opened fire with an AK-47 rifle. Ranger Eggle was struck below his vest, causing a fatal wound. The suspect then fled on foot south toward the Mexican border. He ran to approximately fifty yards from the border, where approximately 30 to 50 Mexican officers from numerous agencies opened fire from Mexico killing him. A medevac helicopter was sent to the scene, but Ranger Eggle had already succumbed to his wounds.
The suspect who was arrested during the incident was sentenced to 15.5 years in prison.
Ranger Eggle was a recent recipient of the Director's Award at FLETC. He is survived by his parents and a sister, who is a civilian employee for the National Park Service.
The suspects had fled from Mexican authorities into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, at approximately 2:00 pm. The Mexican authorities called the Border Patrol and notified them of the suspects. A Border Patrol helicopter in the area located the suspects and directed Ranger Eggle and Border Patrol Agents to the area.
One of the suspects was apprehended without incident, but the second suspect opened fire with an AK-47 rifle. Ranger Eggle was struck below his vest, causing a fatal wound. The suspect then fled on foot south toward the Mexican border. He ran to approximately fifty yards from the border, where approximately 30 to 50 Mexican officers from numerous agencies opened fire from Mexico killing him. A medevac helicopter was sent to the scene, but Ranger Eggle had already succumbed to his wounds.
The suspect who was arrested during the incident was sentenced to 15.5 years in prison.
Ranger Eggle was a recent recipient of the Director's Award at FLETC. He is survived by his parents and a sister, who is a civilian employee for the National Park Service.
This is an excerpt from
the visitor center: Kristopher William Eggle was a Law Enforcement Park Ranger from
Cadillac, Michigan. He was an Eagle
Scout and valedictorian of his class at Cadillac High School in 1991 and later
studied at the University of Michigan.
The suspect who was arrested and served time
could be out of prison by now.
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We didn’t go for a
walk this morning...it was a bit chilly stepping out of the trailer but that’s
not really the reason. Walking down the road was called on account of laziness
again. But we did walk the outer road
around the campground and oh, man, the rain last night sure highlighted the low
spots around the campground. Our
campsite was fine...there was just a large puddle along the nearby hedges. But some of the trailers on the other side of
the campground were sitting in small ponds.
And up by the wi-fi hut/playground there was a small lake. It didn’t seem to take long for the water to
soak in or evaporate but this morning, the people in at least one site weren’t
getting out of their motorhome with dry feet.
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Because we had all
the sandwich fixin’s left from yesterday, Mom made our PB&J sandwiches
before we left. Threw applesauce, fruit cups, pistachios and spoons in the bag and
we were on the road. Today we were
heading to Painted Rocks Petroglyph Site out past Gila Bend. Theba, which is 17 miles away, is listed as
the nearest city.
Marilyn has never
seen petroglyphs so this was another first for her. Painted Rock is about 100 miles west of camp;
good thing it was a nice day for a drive.
It was a bit chilly when we left so we all dressed in jeans and grabbed
jackets. However, the temperature was
warming up into the mid-60s by the time we arrived; my jeans were rolled up
into capris and the jacket was left in the truck.
The petroglyphs site is administered by the
Bureau of Land Management and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places;
there is a BLM campground right next to it. It is said to have one of the densest
concentrations of petroglyphs in North America.
We wandered around the rocks for a bit, snapping pictures and wondering
about the Hohokam people who left these markings and the idiots who defaced
some of the rocks. Ate lunch before we
looked for a nearby geocache. Found it
across the road from the petroglyph site. Then it was back on the road back to
camp. It was a good way to get out of the
camp and yet isolate ourselves as instructed with COVID-19 on the rise...it’s
sobering to think that I’m in the higher risk category now because of age. How did that happen?!
This is a snippet from
the website blm.gov:
The Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and Campground is located approximately 90
miles southwest of Phoenix, Arizona. The site provides visitors the opportunity
to view an ancient archaeological site containing hundreds of symbolic and
artistic rock etchings, or "petroglyphs," produced centuries ago by
prehistoric peoples. There are also inscriptions made by people who passed
through during historic times.
Does “inscriptions made by people who passed
through during historic times” qualify as graffiti?
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Ran into a small amount of rain each way today. Enough already!! Also encountered standing water in several of
the ‘dips’ in the road back to the petroglyphs. Gave the truck a bit of a bath.
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We’ve been keeping
up as much as possible on COVID-19 precautions and closings. A lot of chain stores are instituting special
hours for seniors and other vulnerable people to shop and limiting the amount
of certain items that can be purchased per trip. That makes sense to me. However, this notice
made me scratch my head in wonder: Bashas, Food City,
and AJ's Fine Foods: Grocery stores will open on Wednesdays from 5 a.m. - 6 a.m. for anyone
aged 65 and older. Shoppers will be required to show a valid government I.D. at
the door, a news release said. Five to six a.m. for old people?? Seriously? It’s a nice gesture but seems a bit early in
the day.
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We
stopped at the Eloy IGA; no problem buying what we needed but some products
haven’t been restocked yet. There were no eggs and no toilet paper yet but the
piggy cookies were fully stocked. 😋 As we passed the nearby Family Dollar I noticed
people lined up outside between two ropes. I assume they’re limiting the number
of people allowed in the store at one time.
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In need
of some coolant on the way back today we headed for Walmart in Casa Grande. Store hours have been cut back; there
didn’t seem to be any other restrictions in place. Kim saw one guy heading out with a pack of
toilet paper so that seemed like a good sign.
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We’re sitting at the
table this morning about 8:30 a.m. talking about the weather and out of nowhere
Marilyn says, “Well, anytime you want to get hot dogs, I’m buying. My treat.”
Big smile on her face. J
She is also a fan of
the little piggy cookies. 😋
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I cautiously went to
play Bingo tonight at the clubhouse, ready to head back to camp if necessary. But there were no new people in attendance
and I was able to sit a proper distance away from all others. I won one game
along with two others, so that pot was split three ways. Then I won the black out game (entire card filled)...enough money for several loads of wash with that win. 👍
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